The UK's most high-profile midwife and first black woman trade union leader Karlene Davis is one of a number of senior public sector figures rewarded in the Queen's birthday honours.

Ms Davis, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives and a member of the government's NHS modernisation board is made a Dame of the British Empire.

Other health services figures rewarded include Neil McKay, the NHS chief operating officer who gets a CBE, and the former regional chairman of the London NHS regional office, Ian Mills who gets a knighthood.

Sue Jennings, NHS manager and director of the National Patients Access Team is awarded a CBE.

From the world of local government, Derbyshire county council leader Graham Doughty is knighted. The chief executive of Glasgow city council James Andrews is made a CBE, along with Patricia Hughes, former chief executive of Sutton borough council.

Ziggi Alexander, chairman of the Central Council for Education and training in social work is made a CBE.

Former chief executive of the charity Sense Rodney Clark is made an OBE for services to deafblind people.

In medicine, there's a CBE for professor Peter Selby , the director of clinical research for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, and OBEs for Michael Dixon , GP and chairman of the NHS Alliance, and Bob Broughton , secretary of the BMA in Wales.